The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-16
CALIFORNIA AS SHE'S.


CALIFORNIA AS sHEIs.
An Old Resident of the State Pictures a Dis.
couraeing Condition OF Affairs.
st. Louis Post Dispatch. -
The newspaper representative expressed bis
surprise at having denIzen of California praise
any section of the country as exhibing greatal
indications of prosperity than his own State,
that California offered the best opportunities fol
the acquisition of wealth OF any State in the
Union.
II know that is the general impression re-
piled Mr. Parrott "but nothing could be fur
Their from the truth. Years ago California was
most prosperous, but now il is very much the
reverse. For several years the Industries OF
the State have been on the down grade, but
they never were at SO low ebb at the pres
ent time. Before the development Of the wheat
fields of Kansas Minnesota and Dakota, the
had almost a monopoly of the English markets,
and large fortunes were made by
the wheat-growers. But now the con-
dtions are altered; wheat has fallen in
price, and the profit from it is little
or nothing. Besides this, the deposit of silt
from the hydraulic mines in the mountains has
the State. and has most seriously interfered
with transportation on the Sacramento river,
which hae been rendered almost unnavigable
above Sacramento. Hydraulic mining has been
about put down. but great deal of irrepara-
BILE damage has been done, and then the stop
page of the mines has deprived the StaN Of a
great revenue. linus one or the TWO great IN
dustries of California has been rendered nearly
worthless.
SIN the other leading industries continued
Mr. PARROT, that of fruitraising the condition
of affairs is even worse. Our oranges at one
time were considered tho best in the market and
commanded very high prices. But since the
orange groves of Florida, and especially of
Louisiana, have sent out SO many million boxes
annually. the California fruit has fallen greatly
in price. and .here is little profit in it. The
also worth
failed, notably the crop of this year. which
scarcely amounted to anything. Then the rail-
roads have fastened deaths grip on the threats
of the farmers and ruit-growers and take
nearly all they make. leaving them in a most
poverty-stricken condition. Then the
present Chinese question is giving moro trouble
than ever, and altogether the outlook is very
gloomy
"Wha. shape has the Chinese question as
sumed, Mr.. Parrott2'
There has been a very general change in the
way that the Chinese are regarded. Three years
ago nearly everyone was in favor of driving
them out, but now people begin to gee that to
least, of California. 1t is popular fallacy that
Chinese labor is cheap. The fact is that Chi
naman charges nearly as much for days work
anyone else. The reason that much of the
labor is done by Cinnamon is that in certain
fields they far more efficient than any 9TH
This is especially true regards handling
fruit have tried both Cinnamon and whites
paying them both the Same wages, but was
obliged to give mp the latter after one years ex
perlence. Nearly every Chinaman l employed
handled the fruit in the most delicate and care
full manner. and scarcely box was injured
by bad packing. while fully 40 per cent OF
the boxes packed by others spoiled
by containing bruised and decayed fruit. This
was So universally the case that no fruit growers
could be induced TO employ any but Chinese
help This led to a great dissatisfaction among
the workingme and a number of attacks were
smaller towns. Being q tiinid people. they
very generally abandoned the country, and the
consequence was the partial failure of last years
crop, and the total failure OF that of this year.
The California Board of Agriculture. at it,
meeting held few days ago, issued a circulars
stating that the failure of the crop was due to
lack of labor to handle it, and inviting Eastern
workmen to come TO California where wages
were higher than anywhere else in the country.
But this will not do any good, even if laborers
come to supply the places of the Chinese. Tho
fruit and grain men have hard work to make
living now, and if they obliged to pay
higher price for poorer work. it will not result in
but will compel the farmers to 60 out OF the
business, thus throwing on the labor market
those now at work. curious commentary on
the state OF affairs In California is the fact that,
want of men to pick it, there were probably
more idle workmen in San Francisco than in
any city OF similar size in the Union However
gloomy the outlook in California at large may
be. the prospects OF San Francisco are infinitely
worse. The city is out of all proportion to the
requirements of the State, and must 60 down.
California by the last census had less than a
million of inhabitants and one-third of these
lived within ten miles of the center of San
Francisco. In the days when there was
but one transcontinental line, and the entire
Pacific coast was supplied from San Francisco, a
large city could be sustained: but now the
Northern Pacific has taken away all the Oregon
and Washington Territory trade, and the South
Pacific all that of southern California and
Arizona. People not willing TO have their
goods hauled past their doors and then sent back
from San Francisco, and the result has been
that the roads drop the freight all along the
road, building up a number of small towns at
the expense of the metropolis. The Canadian
Pacific threatens to interfere with the Asiatic
trade by establishing line of steamers from
their terminus, and it looks as if San Francisco
would be reduced TO supplying the country in
the immediate vicinity and shipping the wheat
crop OF course. this will not furnish employ
ment to half the inhabitants. and 1 look for
very great decrease in the population of the city
within a short time"
What in your opinion will sbe the eventual
outcome of the present situation?'
Il think that it will pc beneficial to California
in the long run, as the:present farming and land
system will have to be changed. California to-
dav is practically without class of farmers
who work their own land, but it is country of
great proprietors The changes in the labor
market due to the cu.tine-off of the supply from
China will render these immense farms unproit-
able, and eventually lead to their being divided
into small tracts, and cultivated by the owners;
but before this comes about there will be several
disastrous years Our rich men this, and
the continual drift of our millionares toward
New / Ork, ana tie way IN winch snoy are put
ting their money into United States bonds
shows plainly what they think of the situation.
The imm ediate effect will be bad, but the uti-
mate result will be most beneficial to the State,
as it will be transformed from a sort OF camping
place, which it now is. to State which has
settled population and settled industries"
Meeting Mr.. Gladstone at Midnight
Andrew Carnegie
On another occasion Mr.. Blaine and myself
were to dine with a small party at Lord Wolxer-
toms to meet Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone. The
streets of London were so completely blocked by
the jubilee crowds that we were detained and
did not reach the house until g. o'clock. To get